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8/12/2019 12J614Spiral of Silence
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Journalism 614:
Opinion and Perception II:
Spiral of Silence
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What is Public Opinion?
Any opinion held by a majority of citizens?
Democratic view - The General Will
Any opinion about public affairs?
Liberal Democratic view - All are valid
Only reasoned opinion about issues?
Elitist view - Only informed opinions count
Each of these is about forming preferencesand expressing those views
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Another definition
Public opinion is any opinion that canexpressed publicly without sanctions
Can state without fear of social isolation
Here, public opinion is a matter of visibility Minority opinions must be seen for those who hold
them to feel comfortable expressing themselves
This is about the perceptions of the opinionclimate and the ability to speak out without risks
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Media Influence
Direct Method - Communication events,
arguments, and opinions that change the
mind of audience members
Indirect Method - Present indicators of
what already seems to be public opinion Media convey an impression of how accepted an
opinion may be now or in future
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Spiral of Silence
Societal norms can be intimidating
Understand public opinion as a tangible force
Intense social pressure can be brought to bear on the
person who dares to test the boundaries
Perception of distribution of opinion shapes
willingness to express opinions
People express opinions more confidently when they see
they are in the majority or gaining ground
People are unwilling to express opinions that run counter
to their perception of majority view
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Opinion Expression
What opinions can be expressed?
Opinions that do not risk fear of social isolation
Opinions that are publicly visible
Can be a minority opinion, but minority must speakout and act as if it is, or will be, majority
People have a quasi-statistical organ
A sixth sense that provides information aboutwhat society is thinking and feeling
Constantly scan the environment to gauge theclimate of opinion and future trends.
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Fear of Isolation
Fear of social isolation is the key force that
drives the spiral of silence
Group pressure has tremendous influence
We dont like to be excluded for our views
Theory about obedience to authority in
World War II - citizens in Nazi Germany
Noelle-Neumann was Nazi Party member
She worked for Goebbels, head of Nazi Propaganda
Wrote for Das Reich, but later withdrew/recanted
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Social Influence
Considers effects of group settings on
attitudes, opinion expression, behavior
Largely based on experimental research
Solomon Aschs work on social conformity
When do we go along with the group?
Stanley Milgrams work on social compliance
When do we obey authority?
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AschConformity
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Conformity
The Asch studies
Unambiguous situation
Small group setting (10-12)Uniformincorrect assessment
Over one-third concur with incorrect
assessment - go along with the group
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Minority Influence
Judgments about color of slides
Consistent incorrectassessment by minority
Portion of subjects agree in error Implication:
Minority opinion can exert power
Bandwagon vs. Siding with the underdog
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MilgramObedience
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Obedience
Subjects randomly assigned the role of
"teacher" and asked to administered shocks to
"pupils for incorrect responses
Pupils were actually part of the experiment. Act out the effects of progressively higher shocks
What proportion will continue to the highest level when
prodded by the supervisor?
Highest voltage switches (450 volts) were marked with labels
of Danger: Severe Shock and then XXX
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Setup and Scenario
Voltage Confederate Response
75 Grunts
120 Shouts in pain
150 Refuses to continue
200 Blood-curdling screams
300 Refuses to answer
330+ Silence
Objection Supervisors response
First "He's fine. go on.
Second "The experiment requires
you to go on.
Third "It is absolutely essentialto go on.
Fourth "You have no choice. You
must go on."
QuickTime and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.
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Response of Subjects
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Milgrams Obedience
ExperimentDifferent subjects, locations (~)
Decrease proximity of authority (-)
Increase connection to student (-) Involve obedient others (+)
Involve disobedient others (-)
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When to Speak or Keep Silent
Conformity and compliance have great
social power over individuals
Those in minority positions tend to keep quite
if they do not sense support
Not that they change their minds
Duck their heads and keep their own council
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Summary
People have the ability to gauge trends of
public sentiment
People justifiably fear social isolation
People are hesitant to express minority
viewpoints, especially if losing ground
But where do they get their perceptions?
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Media Influence
Mass media work jointly with majorityopinion to silence minority views
Mass media, particularly TV, suggest what
others are thinking through portrayalsPeople look to the media to see if there is
support and legitimization for views
Index the media to gauge current climate
Provide the words and phrases that people can use todefend a certain point of view
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Critiques of Spiral of Silence
Hardcores - the minority that remains vocal indefiance of threats of isolation
Bill Maher, Dixie Chicks, War Protesters
Pluralistic ignorance and Projection - we tend tomisestimate the prevalence of our views
Quasi-statistical organ doesnt work so well
Weak support outside of WW II Germany
Maybe only operates in totalitarian regimes The ability to find like-minded views online